by Mark Tidsworth | May 12, 2015 | Opinion
A friend has been nominated for Teacher of the Year in our state. In discussing this with him over a meal, my wife reflected on how the profession of teaching has evolved. Long ago, men were the primary and secondary school teachers in our culture, while it is now...
by Mark Tidsworth | Apr 10, 2015 | Opinion
A statement from a lay leader of a local congregation shocked me. “When we are pursuing being disciples of Jesus Christ, we realize we need the church less,” one man said at a church’s annual retreat I was helping lead. I hope my mouth didn’t...
by Mark Tidsworth | Mar 31, 2015 | Opinion
How comfortable are we with our success? How competent do we perceive ourselves to be? What strange questions to ask, you might be thinking, given the Christian emphasis on humility. Isn’t it wrong to understand ourselves as effective, competent and successful...
by Mark Tidsworth | Feb 11, 2015 | Opinion
One of the most promising movements in the 21st century church is the disciple development movement. Given the post-modern context in which we find ourselves, we are driven to clarify what this Christian movement, with its church, is all about. Because we can’t...
by Mark Tidsworth | Jan 15, 2015 | Opinion
A “noisy gong” or a “clanging bell” (1 Corinthians 13:1) is what disciples in congregations hear when their pastor or church staff member delivers a confrontational message about how they are functioning as a church without earning the right to...
